to learn/to look/to live. part 2: a bibliography of children's literature

National Art Education Association

To Learn/To Look/To Live. Part 2: A Bibliography of Children's LiteratureAuthor(s): Kenneth MarantzSource: Art Education, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Feb., 1964), pp. 11-13Published by: National Art Education AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3190391 .

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A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CHILDREN'S LITERATUI

ART (including methods and principles)

Borten, Helen. Do You See What I See? New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1959. 40 pp. $2.75.

Line, shape, and color become evocative tools in the hands of the author. By means of a very brief text and pages of forceful illustrations (basically multicolor wood- cuts), she manages to convey the powerful potential of the elements that make up our visual world. See also her Do You Hear What I Hear? (1960) and A Picture Has A Special Look (1961). (1-6)

Clifford, Eth (Bill Heckler). Red Is Never A Mouse. In- dianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1960. unpaged. $2.95.

A colorwheel can make a flat tire out of working with color, but a book like this can shake fairy dust on picture making. The pages of what colors are not seem more successful than those devoted to the usual associations of things and their chroma. But the total effect is a gay and slyly instructive tour of a world we live in but rarely see. (K-4)

Cole, William and Colmore, Julia, editors. The Poetry- Drawing Book. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960. unpaged. $1.95.

For those who dislike coloring books, the authors have put together a collection of poems that should stimulate youngsters, so inclined, to illustrate them in the big blank areas provided. If one subscribes to such stimu- lation for translating (or rather transliterating) a verbal to a visual art, the poems are generally well chosen to guarantee a visual product. See also a sequel: The Second Poetry-Drawing Book (1962). (2-5)

Duvoisin, Roger. The House of Four Seasons. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1956. (4th printing, 1960). unpaged. $2.75.

A relative old-timer, this story attempts to explain basic color theory through the discussions of a family relating to the painting of their new home. The idea is good, the resolution is happy, the illustrations are charming. But the color reproduction which prints magenta and calls it red, and turquoise and calls it blue is a drawback. (1-4)

Emberley, Ed. The Wing on a Flea. Boston: Little, Brown, 1961. 48 pp. $2.95.

If viewed from the point of view of incentive for children to seek out the basic geometric shapes in objects (perhaps a child-like attempt at cubism), this rhymed ditty is fine. However, some of the illustrations may en- courage stereotypes. The sparing use of color within a basically line drawing concept is nicely handled, however, and the book deserves a place on the shelf with such other elementary ones as A Kiss Is Round. (1-4)

Gorbarty, Norman. Print Making With A Spoon. New York: Reinhold, 1960. 68 pp. $3.95.

In a modest, direct, and competent fashion the author presents a series of 12 types of prints which can be made with a limited amount of material by students of all ages. The format is clear, the illustrations are typical rather than superlative, and the technical instructions are excellent. I would have wished for a wider range of illus- tration for each method and for examples of profes- sional work to indicate the possibilities of printmaking. (4-8)

I KENNETH MARANTZ

Hunt, Kari and Carlson, Bernice W. Masks And Mask Makers. New York: Abingdon Press, 1961. 72 pp. $2.75.

Books on masks are rare enough, but books suitable for young readers are almost nonexistent. Riley's Masks and Magic (1955) is the only other work I know that does a job in this area, but for older students. The in- troduction discusses reasons for the creation of masks, and each succeeding two-page spread explains something of the culture and uses of the masks represented by large clear photographs. The last ten pages are devoted to a step-by-step discussion of the making of a papier-mache mask. (3-7)

Johnson, Lillian. Sculpture: The Basic Methods and Materials. New York: David McKay, 1960. 92 pp. $3.95.

It is not often that a methods book is written that combines a convincing command of the subject and still refrains from stereotype and pattern. Miss Johnson ob- viously knows sculpture and loves it; and more important she is able to communicate clearly. She offers basic advice for working with a wide variety of materials, and uses many clear photographs of contemporary artists to illustrate them and adequate photographs of processes to explain them. Her warnings and encouragements are peda- gogically sound and her references for further information and supplies are useful. (4-10)

Kessler, Leonard. Art Is Everywhere. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1958. 88 pp. $3.50.

This is subtitled "A Child's Guide to Drawing and Painting," and it can be just that. Kessler's cartoony ink drawings abound and the simple text takes readers through the business of making pictures with surety, en- couragement, and laughter. (3-6)

Kirn, Ann. Full of Wonder. New York: World, 1959. 28 pp. $2.75.

This is a collection of rubbings of leaves, shells, but- tons, etc., with a brief half-page devoted to the "how-to" details. The text facing each page of rubbings attempts to sensitize the child to the visual and tactile qualities of the ordinary objects that surround us. This is a good book to read aloud-with feeling. (K-3)

Krum, Josephine R. Hand-Built Pottery. Scranton, Penn- sylvania: International Textbook, 1960. 116 pp. $5.00.

This goes well beyond being an adequate source book. It treats clay as an essential human material of bound- less potentials, and draws upon nature and many of the world's diverse cultures to indicate some of the possibilities. The layout is open, the text is clear and large, and the photographs are many and clear. The philosophy is sound and the bibliography eclectic. One of the best fundamental books on clay. (4-10)

Kuskin, Karla. Square As A House. New York: Harper and Row, 1960. unpaged. $2.50.

This is another member of a growing family of fine picture books which play with basic art considerations about shape and color. The emphasis is on large, appeal- ing, and colorful drawings which illustrate the simple rhymed questions about "If you could be .. ." It is a

Kenneth Marantz, Art Teacher, The Laboratory Schools, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

February 1964

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good attempt to stimulate visual imaginations and color and shape relationships. (K-3)

Kuwabara, Minora, and others. Cut And Paste. New York: Obolensky, 1961. 48 pp. $3.95.

This is much more a "here are things you can make pictures out of" than a "here is how you make pictures" type of book. It is completely in color and the works reproduced really look as if children made them. It is valuable because it shows Japanese children's art work and because it gives a wide scope to the collage problem. (1-5)

Lewis, Adele. The Print. New York: Adele Lewis, 1960. 32 pp. $2.50.

Created as an educational tool to explain the "hows" of printmaking to the public in order that graphic artists have a larger, more informed clientele, this book in few words and many pictures (no photographs) manages to explain the basic processes quite lucidly. It is handsomely put together. This could be a "first" book in graphics for any age level. (3-8)

Marks, Mickey Klar. Sand Sculpturing. New York: Dial Press, 1962. 38 pp. $2.75.

The photographs are clear, the instructions are simple to read and direct, but there is a superficiality about this book which restricts its value. The area of plaster-casting in sand has been with us long enough to remove it from the gimmick category, and so deserves a thorough study. This is a beginning and may well stimulate youngsters to go beyond the obvious examples of the author. See also her Slate Sculpturing (1963) for a similar treatment of another medium suitable for a wide age range. (3-10)

Ota, Koshi, et al. Printing For Fun. New York: Obo- lensky, 1960. 54 pp. $3.95.

If the activities suggested in this book are followed, there should be learning as well as fun. The simple graphic techniques of stamping, rubbing, stenciling, and monoprinting are simply described and many examples are shown. The pages are heavy and all are in full color. (2-7)

Weiss, Harvey. Clay, Wood and Wire. New York: Young- Scott, 1956. unpaged. $3.50.

Although legitimate exception can be taken to some of the examples the author uses in explaining techniques, the book is flooded with photographs of significant pieces of sculpture. It is a good-looking book. In rather brief form, modeling, carving, construction, papier-mache, and mobiles are explained in simple and graphic terms. This book (his first) remains Weiss' best, but his Paper, Ink and Roller (1958) and Pencil, Pen and Brush (1961) are worth examining. (3-7)

FOLK, FAIRY, AND FANTASY

Anderson, Paul (Robert Kraus). Red Fox and the Hungry Tiger. New York: Young-Scott, 1962. unpaged. $3.50.

This single animal tale (found in Korea by the author) could well be part of a large collection, as it shows the sly fox outwitting the brutal but dull tiger. Its claim to distinction lies in its explosively striking illustrations: the boldest I have seen in any children's book. They dom- inate the story, perhaps to a fault. (K-3)

Artzybaseff, Boris. Seven Simeons. New York: Viking, 1961, unpaged. $3.50.

This old Russian folktale is in the tradition of pro-

digious feats and "they lived happily ever after." Chil- dren will find new lands where the impossible is com- monplace and beauty reigns triumphant. The illustrations seem welded to the story, so delicately and inti- mately are they interwoven. There is a genuine old- world character which adds to the exotic. Although origi- nally created in 1937, this new edition is as timeless as art. (1-6)

Baruch, Dorothy W. (Sanryo Sakai). Kappa's Tug-of- War With Big Brown Horse. Rutland, Vermont: Charles Tuttle, 1962. 36 pp. $2.95.

This is the story of a Japanese water elf and how he was conquered by the wisdom and kindness of an old farmer. The illustrations are the misty watercolors of traditional oriental flavor and contribute to the book's effectiveness. (K-3)

Belting, Natalia M. (Bernarda Bryson). The Sun Is A Golding Earring. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Wins- ton, 1962. unpaged. $3.50.

From man's first wondering about his origin have come stories we call myth, or legend, or religious testaments. Miss Belting has chosen very brief statements from around the world which express this wonderment in poetic fashion. Miss Bryson has set these gems into a visual necklace of the utmost delicacy, achieving a subtle beauty rarely found in any book. Highest praise. (K-12)

Brown, Marcia. Once A Mouse. New York: Scribners, 1961. unpaged. $2.95.

A moral tale from India is retold in a simple fashion that leaves the message for each reader to discover. Read- ing this story can be a valuable ethical experience. Visu- ally the muted tones of the wood block illustrations are a happy vehicle for the simple thoughts. Together, words and pictures contribute to the making of an important addition to the shelf of books to read and read again. (K-8)

Fessenden, Katharine. The Old Testament Story: Adam to Jonah.

The stories are retold in modern language in a man- ner which communicates the essence of the events, but which loses the poetry of the Bible (King James version at least). Yet the use of paintings and sculpture (almost exclusively from the Renaissance) to illustrate the text somewhat compensates for this loss. This book will prob- ably find most use in a classroom where the Old Testa- ment is read with other stories of religions, history, or heroes. (3-8)

Frasconi, Antonio. The Snow and the Sun. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1961. unpaged. $3.00.

The text (in English and Spanish) is a South Ameri- can rhyme in the tradition of "A House That Jack Built." To this extent its moral points to the universal inter- dependence of all things. It is welcome as another folk rhyme and as an aid in the elementary study of Spanish. But its prime virtue must rest in Frasconi's rugged wood- cuts; they provide a visual variety which carries the necessarily repetitious text. (K-4)

Goodrich, Norma L. The Medieval Myths. New York: New American Library, 1961. 224 pp. paper. 500.

Some of our great heroes are the product of the Middle Ages: the Cid, Roland, Beowulf, Prince Igor. These and three others are chosen for their exploits. Like her The Ancient Myths (1960) this is an excellent reference. (6-12)

ART Education 12



Jagendorf, M. A., and Boggs, R. S. (Carybe). The King of the Mountains: A Treasury of Latin American Folk Stories. New York: Vanguard, 1960. 313 pp. $4.95.

Each country in Latin America is represented by several tales. They are told simply and are full of the earthy humor about man's foibles common to all folk tales. A glossary and lengthy section of notes explaining something of the derivation of the stories made this a particularly fine addition. The many black and white drawings are attractively suggestive. (2-8)

Johnson, Sally P. (Beni Montresor). The Princesses. New York: Harper and Row, 1962. 318 pp. $4.95.

This is the sort of collection which will captivate the young reader at first glance and to which she will return sporadically during her entire lifetime. Sixteen authors in the range of Kipling, Milne, Andersen, and Dickens are represented in their original form. Each story has a romantic ink drawing to enrich it. (2-12)

Langer, Susanne K. (Helen Sewell). The Cruise of the Little Dipper and Other Fairy Tales. Greenwich, Conn- ecticut: New York Graphic Society, 1963. 166 pp. $3.95.

This is a blatant call to Fairyland issued for all who can leave mundane realities behind. The original edition was created 40 years ago by two young friends who grew up in an era when day-dreamers were not considered wasters of time and the land of make-believe was the common home of boys and girls. Mrs. Langer is now our ranking aesthetician, and the late Miss Sewell became a prominent book illustrator. This early collaboration already contains the spark of their genius. The stories are exotic and happy, engagingly written for reading and rereading. The format and illustrations are also engaging for the eye and have a style which, for me at least, spells out what illustrations for fairy tales ought to be (5-6)

Latham, Jean Lee (Pablo Ramirez). Wa O'Ka. Indian- apolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1960. unpaged. $1.95.

Miss Latham (a Newberry Medal winner) knows how to retell a tale to hold the interest of listeners as well as readers. The layout is sensitive, varying the size and impact of pictures to create mood. But although Ramirez manages to capture some of the spirit of the settings, there is an annoying coyness to his characterization of people that helps negate much of his otherwise excellent work. A few of the individual illustrations are extremely handsome. In the same series see The Magic Fishbone, Ali-Baba, and Aladdin. (K-4)

Le Marchand, Jacques (Andre Francois). The Adven- tures of Ulysses. New York: Criterion Books, 1960. unpaged.

A retelling of the ancient Homeric legend abridged for younger readers. The modern rephrasing is more than matched by a group of zany illustrations which combine a sketchy black ink line with areas of flat, bright color. To be read to most elementary school children who would enjoy a classic blood and guts adventure spiced with wonderful pictures. (3-7)

Leodhas, Sorche Nic (Evaline Ness). Thistle and Thyme. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1962. 143 pp. $3.50.

Perhaps a reading of these tales from Scotland will help remove the stereotype of the stingy old kilted man from the mind of readers. The telling is done with an air of enchantment and the block-print illustrations add a subtle romantic quality of their own. A solid volume. (3-7)

Luzzati, Lele. Chichibio and the Crane. New York: Obolensky, 1961. unpaged. $2.95.

An adaptation of a Boccaccio tale about a hungry maid, a henpecked cook, and a master with a sense of humor. Brief, but effective. The success must be at- tributed to the extremely vigorous and raucous illustrations. (1-5)

Robbins, Ruth (Nicolas Sidjakov). Baboushka and the Three Kings. Berkeley, California: Parnassus Press, 1960. unpaged. $2.75.

Baboushka's story is a Russian folktale which offers children an alternative for Santa Claus as the bringer of goodies on Christmas. The type and pictures are direct and fresh, and manage to capture the innocence of the tale with bold lines and primary colors. For year-around reading, but particularly good at Christmas time.

Samstag, Nicholas (Ben Shahn). Kay-Kay Comes Home. New York: Obolensky, 1962. 48 pp. $2.95.

A folk tale of sorts about a boy and some horses from a merry-go-round. It is Russian and has a happy ending. Shahn's black and white drawings really add a vigor and excitement in a way no usual full-color illustrations could. This is Shahn at his best illustrative crea- tivity. (2-6)

Siddiqui, Ashraf, and Lerch, Marilyn. Toontoony Pie and Other Tales from Pakistan. New York: World Pub- lishing, 1961. 157 pp. $3.50.

A fine collection of stories full of wise animals and beautiful princesses expressing an Eastern philosophy. The black and white drawings capture some of the quality of the animal wisdom and geographic setting. (2-5)

Spier, Peter. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night. New York: Doubleday, 1961. unpaged. $2.95.

The folksong illustrated in suggestive detail using a fine pen and subtle watercolor. A book to look at again and again with or without music.

The Tasha Tudor Book of Fairy Tales. New York: Platt and Munk, 1961. 92 pp. $3.95.

Fifteen of the traditional European fairy tales are given a good retelling. The particular value of this collection must derive from layout and profusion of full- color drawings. Many pages have borders of flowers; each chapter begins with an illuminated capital and has one or more full-page illustrations. The drawings are naturalistic, sweet, and old-fashioned in appearance. (K14)

The Three Billy-Goats Gruff. New York: Holt, Winston and Rinehart, 1962. unpaged. $1.95.

This simple retelling of the Norwegian tale is designed as a re-enforcement for a child's reading program. It is the bold woodblock prints which carry the day. Restricted to muted colors (perhaps reflecting the low key of the story) they are strong visual statements. See also the rest of this new easy-reader series. (K-3)

Yamaguchi, Tohr (Marianne Yamaguchi). The Golden Crane. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963. unpaged. $3.00.

There are good and bad people, and in the realm of the folktale it is the good who find heavenly reward. Once again kindness of man and boy to one of nature's children brings ultimate happiness. The story is told with dignity and charm, and the many large illustrations evoke a sincere passion of their own. A very handsome book. (1-6)

February 1964 13



to learn/to look/to live. part 2: a bibliography of children's literature

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